The Kwara state Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has urged the people of the state to be calm and not harbour any person(s) known with recent travel history at home or in communities.
Abdulrazaq who spoke to journalists on Tuesday in reaction to the COVID-19 result of two persons that tested positive in the State on Monday. He said: Kwarans, this is no time to panic. It is no time to play politics. We are in this together. Please stay calm. We will do everything to keep you safe.
“But we need everyone to play their own role. Stay at home, except you are on essential duties. Keep social distancing. Avoid crowd. Prioritise personal hygiene. Eat well and rehydrate yourself. And finally, do not spread unverified news.
Accoring to him, “Yesterday evening , April 6, 2020, we received the official report from the NCDC of samples earlier taken to the Ibadan test centre. The test confirmed that Kwara State now has two cases of COVID-19.
“The first is the wife of a man who recently returned from UK, secretly came into the state, had secret treatment administered on him by a professor of medicine, and eventually died at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) without any prior formal communication to the State Technical Committee on COVID-19.
“The second case is a diabetic patient who also had a travel history to the UK. He came into the country on March 18. He came down with coughing. He has since gone into self isolation with his wife. Following reasonable suspicion, sample was taken from him and he has now been confirmed positive.”
He further stressed that, “The two COVID-19 cases have now been moved to the Kwara State Infectious Disease Centre at Sobi Specialist Hospital with full compliments of security agents manning the facility, while our medical team begins standard treatment for them. The two cases are very stable as we speak.
“Our job is cut out for us and we are definitely not dropping the ball. Contact tracing by the Rapid Response Team of the medical advisory committee has so far netted 74 persons who have had contacts with the cases and the suspected case at UITH.
“As we speak, government has directed all the contacts to begin self isolation under government’s strict monitoring. In the past two weeks, Kwara State has tested and received results for 12 samples of suspected cases. Out of these, only two have tested positive. This contract tracing continues side by side with aggressive surveillance.
“Fellow Kwarans, this is truly a trying moment for the whole of mankind. But we are definitely not helpless or without reasonable preparation in Kwara State. We are also blessed with committed professionals who are up to the task and willing to stand up and be counted at this time — while also taking all precautions. Ladies and gentlemen, COVID-19 is a global pandemic and is no respecter of anyone.
“Contracting it is neither a death sentence nor or an indication of guilt. We urge Kwarans to avoid crowded space, isolate themselves, call our helplines if they have just returned from places of interest in the last three weeks for proper screening and early care in the event of anything.
“The government will quickly extend the ongoing fumigation exercise to these places of interest, including Offa, where contamination may have occurred as a result of this very infectious disease. Notwithstanding our preparation, we are not ashamed to say that Kwara State will be glad to get all the help it can get at this moment.”
